Jamnagar: Amid the rising concern over the new COVID-19 variant, two more people who came in contact with the NRI who was found positive for the Omicron variant, were also tested positive for the Omicron variant in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, on Friday. With this, the total tally of Omicron-affected people in Gujarat rose to three
“In Jamnagar, 2 people, who came in contact with Omicron infected person, tested positive for COVID. Their samples were sent for testing. Tests revealed that they both had Omicron. All three are stable, asymptomatic and in hospital,” Vijaykumar Kharadi, Jamnagar Municipal Commissioner told ANI.
Gujarat on Saturday reported its first case of new COVID-19 variant in Jamnagar after a person who came from Zimbabwe was found infected with Omicron.
A new variant of COVID-19 was first reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) from South Africa on November 25. As per the WHO, the first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on November 9 this year.
On November 26, the WHO named the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, which has been detected in South Africa, as ‘Omicron’ and classified it as a ‘variant of concern’. Dozens of countries have imposed travel restrictions on the southern African nations since the mutation was discovered.
The new coronavirus variant has been confirmed in 23 countries and their number is expected to rise, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said.
India has also added several countries to the list from where travellers would need to follow additional measures on arrival in the country, including post-arrival testing for infection.
